The man Craig Thomson put his hopes turns witness for the prosecution

Craig Thomson's half-brother has given evidence for the prosecution in the former federal MP's fraud and theft trial, despite the ex-member for Dobell once claiming he could help prove his innocence.

Struan Robertson, who Mr Thomson previously nominated as a key witness to claims he was being set up by rivals, gave evidence at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon.

A national liaison officer with the Health Services Union from 2003 to 2007, Mr Robertson said he, too, had been issued with a credit card and was guided by what he considered reasonable constraints on what he could use the card for.

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He said he never used the card for personal expenses, had twice paid for flights so his partner could attend union events, had occasionally paid for businesses lunches and was almost certain his card would not let him withdraw cash, ''not that I ever tried to do it''.

Mr Thomson is accused of using HSU credit cards and a Flight Centre account to accrue more than $28,000 in personal expenses, including sexual services from escort agencies, in-house adult films in hotel rooms, flights and cigarettes for his then wife during his term as the union's national secretary from 2002 to 2007.

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Earlier on Monday, brothel owner Peter Lazaris told the court Mr Thomson would have needed his union-issued credit card to be authorised by a bank before he could have paid for sexual services.

Mr Lazaris said customers at his Sydney business, A Touch of Class, could use credit cards so long as their authenticity could be confirmed with the bank beforehand, and they provided photo identification if they appeared in person.

A credit card statement outlining the payment of $660, for two hours of sexual services, on August 26, 2006 was tendered to court.

Mr Lazaris said ''Staff call'' - the merchant name on customers' credit card statements instead of the name of the brothel - appeared on the statement of one of the cards issued to Mr Thomson by the HSU.

Mr Lazaris said the financial records and footage of customers entering his brothel were destroyed after six years.

Mr Thomson, 49, has pleaded not guilty to 145 fraud and theft charges.

Prosecutors allege Mr Thomson continued using union funds for personal expenses after he left the HSU in December 2007 to take up his role as a federal MP.

He lost his seat after standing as an independent in last year's federal election.

On Monday, the court also heard that Mr Thomson had an HSU credit card that not even a member of the union's financial committee was aware of.

Rosemary Kelly said she learned of a Commonwealth Bank Mastercard supplied to Mr Thomson only when an exit audit of his term was conducted in 2007.